Toy telephone with music device



April 14, 1953 F. LoEFFLl-:R ErAL TOY TELEPHONE WITH MUSIC DEVICE Filed May 3, 1948 FIG. l.

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INVENTQRS Ffa/rz LOEFFLE/Z F IG 3 BY/rA/u lua/Woof /fl e AWM Patented Apr. 14,1953

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TOY TELEPHONE WITH MUSIC DEVICE Fritz Loeier and Karl Woiwode, New York, N. Y.

Application May 3, 1948, Serial No. 24,854

6 Claims. l

This invention has to do with improvements in toy telephones.

According to the present invention, a toy resembling a conventional telephone housing, receiver, etc., has a music roll mechanism of appropriate size mounted within the housing. Operating means, preferably simulating a calling dial, is provided for tensioning the driving spring of the music roll mechanism. The connection between the dial and spring is such that While the music roll mechanism operates, the dial is uncoupled from the driving spring and remains stationary. This feature enhances the authenticity of the `toy for a child since in a real telephone the dial does not move after the desired number has been dialed.

According to another feature of the invention the receiver is connected to the music roll mechanism so that music will play only when the receiver is lifted from its support. This also is appealing to achild since the toy does not function until the receiver is lifted.

. Although the various parts employed in this toy are generally referred to here and in the claims by the names ascribed to corresponding parts of an actual telephone, it should be remembered that these parts are merely toy simulations thereof.

` Other features of the invention will be made clearer in the following detailed description taken in connection with the drawings.

In the drawings:

, Fig. l is a perspective view partly broken away of the device;

Fig. 2 is a section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is -a bottom plan view on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

A telephone housing I has on one side a rotatable nger dial 2 fastened at its center to a threaded end of a shaft 3 by nut 4. Dial 2 rests on a keyed washer 5 supported by a ledge 3' of shaft 3. Shaft 3 is surrounded by a bushing 6 which is pressed into a hole in housing I. A dial return spring I has one end fastened to dial 2 at 8 and the other end fastened to housing I at 9. The dial may be rotated in a clockwise direction until projection ID meets a stop II. A suitable dial indicator card I2, lying on the side of the stand beneath the dial, may have numbers and letters inscribed on it in alignment with finger holes 2'. A circular plate I3 is fastened around shaft 3 adjacent narrowed end I4 of the shaft. A ratchet wheel I5 and pinion I6 are loosely mounted'as avunit on end I4.

Referring to Fig. 3, a pawl I1 fastened to plate I3 is normally pressed into engagement with wheel I5 by a leaf spring I8 also fastened to plate I3 at I9. When the dial is in normal position a lug 26 projecting from housing I contacts end 2l of pawl II thereby disengaging the pawl from wheel I5. As shown in dotted lines, Fig. 3, as soon as the dial is rotated contact between lug 20 and pawl I'I is broken and spring I8 pushes the pawl into engagement with ratchet wheel I5. Pinion I6 engages an internal gear 22 mounted on a shaft 23. In a manner well known to those skilled in the art a music roll mechanism driving spring 24 is mounted around shaft 23 and fastened at one end to the shaft, at 33 and -at the other end to casing 26 at 21. A gear 25 loosely mounted on shaft 23 engages a pinion 28 .thereby driving gear 29 and music roll mechanism 30 which produces a musical sound when pins 3I engage a comb (not shown). A ratchet plate 32 is attached to shaft 23 and engages gear 25 rotating it as shaft 23 rotates under pressure from spring 24 when the latter is permitted to unwind. The music roll mechanism assembly is mounted in a frame 34 which is secured to housing I by posts 35 and screws 36.

A receiver 38 rests on a hook or cradle 39 which is secured to housing I. When receiver 38 is in cradle 39 it contacts a protruding end of movable rod 43 which is pushed downward by the weight of the receiver. The other end of rod 43 extends into a rod 4I. Rod 4I is connected to a base 40 by a nut 42. End 44 of a movable bar 45 is attached to a collar 43 which is fastened to the lower part of rod 43. Collar 43 is mounted above rod 4I a distance corresponding to the distance that the top end of rod 43 protrudes through the bottom of cradle 39. When rod 43 is pushed downward due to the weight of the receiver, end 46 of movable bar 45 engages impeller 4'I of a conventional air governor mechanism generally indicated at 48 which, in the well known manner, maintains a constant speed of operation of the music roll mechanism. The governor is secured to frame 34 by a bracket 49. When receiver 38 is in the cradle, as shown in solid lines, Fig. l, the governor will be prevented from operating by end 46 of bar 45 and the music roll can not rotate. When the receiver is lifted out of the cradle (dotted lines, Fig. l) end 46 is raised out of contact with the governor by a straight spring 50 and the music roll mechanism can operate.

The operation of the device will now be'explained. Dial 2 may be rotated in the usual clockwise direction, for instance, a number of times corresponding to a telephone number. Preferably the receiver is left in the cradle while dialing 3 so that the music will not start until the dialing is completed. Spring 'I returns the dial to normal position each time the Winding finger is removed from hole 2. As plate I3 is rotated by shaft 3 end 2l of pawl l'i is moved away from lug 20 and the paWl immediately engages ratchet wheel l5 thereby turning it and pinion I6. Pinion IB engages gear 22 which rotates shaft 23 thereby tensioning driving spring 2 of the, music roll l mechanism. Assoon as` receiver 38 islifted from the cradle, end E of bar d5 is raised by spring 5G permitting the air governor assembly to operate and in turn gear 25 rotates the music roll mechanism until either the driving spring is runzdmvn.

or the receiver is replaced in the cradle.

It is to be noted that there Lis no rigidconnection between the music roll mechanism driving ment of the inventionhazs beenshownand described, rother variations thereof are possible Without departing from the scope of the invention as-deiined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a toy telephone assembly, a housing, a receiver, a cradle mounted on said housing to support said receiver, a dial mounted on said housing, a music roll mechanism, means includ- 'inga spring for rotating said music roll mecha-l nism during detensioning of 'said spring, gear means operable by said dial to wind up said spring, vand means for selectively connecting the ldia-l'vto-said gear means, whereby said dial is dis connected from said gear means when the spring drives said music roll mechanism.

,2.v The-device according to claim 1, and a bar connectedl at one end tor-said cradle, said bar being movable into engagement with said means for `rotating themusic roll mechanism whenv said receiver isin said cradle, andbeing movable out oil-engagement with said means when saidrecen/erf is-lifted from said cradle, said bar thereby controlling the operation of the music roll mechanisrn.

' 3. In a toy telephone assembly, a housing, a receiver, a cradle mounted on said housing to support said receiver, a music roll mechanism, means includ-ing a spring for driving said music rollv mechanism during detensioning osaidI spring, a shaft, a dial mounted on said shaft, gear means operable by said dial'to tension said spring, a. ratchet and pawl assembly mounted on said' shaft'V for selectively connecting the spring to said dial whereby the dial' is disconnected from the spring'when the springdrives the music roll mechanism.

. 4, The device according to cla'im and aibar attached at oneend to said cradle, said bar being movable into engagement with said means Yfor rotating the music roll mechanism when said receiver is in said cradle, and 'being movable out of; engagement, with said meems when said re ceiver is lifted from the cradle, said barfthereby controlling the operation of the music roll mechanism.

5. A toy telephone assembly comprising, ahousing, a receiver, a cradle mounted on said housing to support said receiver, a shaft extending into said housing, a dial mounted on one end of said shaft. said dial having a normal position, a plate mounted adjacent the other end of said shaft, a ratchet. Wheel and pinion mounted onsaid shaft below said-plateLa paWl mounted 'on said plate, said pawl engaging and `turning said ratchet wheel when said dial is moved out of normal position, a second shaft, a gear mounted on one end of said second shaft, said gear being engaged vby said pinionto rotatefsaid second shaft, a music roll' mechanism, means including a spring for rotatingsaid music roll mechanism during detensoning of said spring connected to the other end of saidsecond shaft, said spring being tensioned during rotation of saidsecond shaft, and abar connected at one end'tosaid cradle and' movable into engagement with said means 'for rotatingthe music roll mechanism when said receiver is in saidcradle, and movable out of engagement with said means -when said receiver is lifted from the cradle, said Abar thereby Contrcllingthe operation of the music roll mechanism.

6. A toy telephone assembly comprising, a housing, a receiver, a cradle; saidfcradlebeingimounted on said housing to support'said receiver, a-*sh'aft extending into said housing, a dial on one end of said shaft, said dial having a normal position, a plate mounted adjacent the other end of said shaft, a ratchet Wheel and pinion mounted on the 1 end of said shaft adjacent said plate, a; spring pressed pawl fastened to-said plate, said pawl engaging and turning said ratchet wheel whenthe diai is moved out of normal position, a lug prof jecting into said housing, saidlug engaging an end'cf said pawl when the dial is in-normal-posi'- tion to movesaid pawl out of engagement with said ratchet wheel, a second shaft, an internal gear mountedl on one end of saidl second shaft, said gear engaging said pinion-torotate'saidfsecond shaft, a music roll mechanism, means'includingl a spring connected to the other end yoi said second shaftV for rotating said music: roll mechanism during detensioning of said spring, said springbeing tensioned when said'internal gear rotates saidsecond shaft, `la frame for'iasten' ing said music roll mechanism in said housing beneath the dial, an air governor, a train of Vgears connecting said air governor to said music-roll driving spring, a rod engaging the-receiverin saidcradle'andextending into saidhousing, abar in said housing one end of which engagesl said References Cited in.- the. file. of this, patent.

UNITED STATESPATENTS Number Name -Date 2,252,288 4Kind Aug. 12, 19411 2,252,289 Kind et al. Aug. 12,1941; 2,321,365 Darche i,--- June 8, 19,43 ,2,435,105 Solomon Jan.. 27,1943

2,494,656 Grunicke et. a-l. Jan. 17,195.0. 

